Easy Summer Crafts for Kids: Fun That Fosters Speech

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why Crafts Are More Than Just Fun: A Developmental Boost
3. Crafting for Communication: Engaging Activities for Every Age
4. Integrating Speech Blubs into Your Summer Routine
5. Choosing Your Plan: Unlock a Summer of Speech Success
6. Conclusion
7. Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Summer is here, and with it comes the joy of longer days, sunshine, and… the inevitable chorus of “I’m bored!” As parents, we cherish these precious months, but also seek engaging ways to keep our little ones happy and learning. While screen time often seems like an easy fix, the true magic lies in activities that spark creativity, connection, and crucially, communication. This post will explore a treasure trove of easy, engaging summer crafts that not only banish boredom but also naturally boost speech and language development, transforming playtime into powerful learning opportunities. These hands-on activities, when combined with innovative tools like Speech Blubs, offer a fantastic opportunity for “smart screen time” and joyful family connection, empowering children to speak their minds and hearts.

Why Crafts Are More Than Just Fun: A Developmental Boost

At first glance, crafts might seem like just a way to keep little hands busy, but they are so much more. They are vibrant catalysts for holistic child development, touching on everything from fine motor skills to cognitive growth, and most importantly, igniting a natural love for communication. When a child engages in a craft, they are not just gluing paper or painting rocks; they are embarking on a multi-sensory journey that inherently fosters language.

Think about it:

• Sensory Exploration: Touching different textures (smooth rocks, squishy playdough, gritty sand), seeing a spectrum of colors, and even smelling glue or paint – all these experiences create rich opportunities for descriptive language. “This sand is rough,” “The paint is sticky,” “My suncatcher is bright yellow.”
• Following Instructions: Craft projects often come with steps, providing a natural context for understanding and using sequential language. “First, we paint the rock, then we add the googly eyes.” This builds comprehension and the ability to articulate a process.
• Vocabulary Expansion: Every craft introduces new words. From the names of materials (glitter, yarn, sponges) to action verbs (cut, paste, pour, squish), and descriptive adjectives (sparkly, soft, colorful), the vocabulary burst is immense.
• Problem-Solving and Expression: When a craft doesn’t go exactly as planned, or when a child wants to personalize their creation, they engage in problem-solving and self-expression, prompting them to articulate their ideas, ask for help, or explain their choices. “I want to make my sailboat go faster!” “Can you help me get the glue open?”
• Social Interaction and Connection: Crafting together is a shared experience. It encourages turn-taking, asking questions, offering help, and sharing accomplishments. This is where the magic of family connection truly shines, building bonds while nurturing communication skills.

At Speech Blubs, our mission is to empower children to “speak their minds and hearts,” and we know that real-world, hands-on experiences are invaluable. Our company was born from the personal experiences of our founders, who all grew up with speech problems and created the tool they wished they had. We are committed to providing an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support, blending scientific principles with play into one-of-a-kind “smart screen time” experiences. These craft activities are a perfect complement to our approach, creating a holistic environment for language growth. To discover more about our vision and how we help children find their voice, visit our homepage.

Crafting for Communication: Engaging Activities for Every Age

Let’s dive into some easy summer crafts, broken down by age group, and explore how each one can become a unique opportunity to foster speech and language development. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection in the craft itself, but the journey of creation and conversation.

Easy Summer Crafts for Toddlers: Laying the Foundation (Ages 1-3)

Toddlers are sponges, soaking up every word and experience. These crafts are designed to be simple, focusing on sensory exploration, basic vocabulary, sound imitation, and following one or two-step instructions. Always be present and engaged, narrating actions and repeating new words.

1. Rock Magnets: Little Creations, Big Words

This classic project is fantastic for encouraging early word sounds and descriptive vocabulary.

• Materials: River rocks, googly eyes, magnets, glue, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, water cup.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Vocabulary: “rock,” “paint,” “smooth,” “bumpy,” “eyes,” “glue,” “magnet,” colors (“red,” “blue”).
  • Action Verbs: “paint,” “stick,” “dry,” “hold.”
  • Imitation: Encourage animal sounds if painting animal faces (“moo,” “roar”) or simple exclamations like “wow!” or “oops!”
  • Scenario: For a parent with a toddler who loves animals but is a ‘late talker,’ painting a rock to look like a ladybug can involve practicing “dot, dot, dot” sounds, saying “red,” and “fly” as the rock dries. You can hold up the finished “bug” and say, “Look! Buggy! Buggy fly!” while encouraging imitation.
• Instructions:
  1. Have your child paint the rock their favorite color. Narrate, “You are painting the red rock!”
  2. Let the paint dry. “Let’s wait for it to be dry.”
  3. Attach googly eyes with glue. “Stick the eyes on!”
  4. Glue a magnet to the back. “Now it’s a magnet for the fridge!”

2. Wooden Object Design: Personal Treasures

Simple wooden shapes or objects provide a canvas for creativity and vocabulary.

• Materials: Wooden objects (trinket boxes, picture frames, cut-out shapes), paint, paintbrushes, water cup, glitter, collage stickers, jewels.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Vocabulary: Names of shapes/objects, colors, “sparkly,” “sticky,” “pretty.”
  • Choice-making: “Do you want the square or the star?”
  • Following Directions: “Paint the top,” “Put a sticker here.”

3. Suncatchers: Catching Light and Words

A quick and easy craft that yields a beautiful result, perfect for discussing light and color.

• Materials: Pre-made suncatchers, craft paint, paintbrushes, water cups.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Colors: Emphasize the names of colors as your child paints each section.
  • Descriptive Words: “bright,” “shiny,” “see-through.”
  • Action Words: “dip,” “paint,” “wash.”
• Instructions:
  1. Choose a suncatcher.
  2. Decorate with favorite colors. “You are painting it blue!”
  3. Wash brushes when changing colors.
  4. Hang in a sunny window to dry. “Look! It’s bright in the sun!”

4. Sponge Sailboats: Floating Fun

These simple boats are fantastic for water play and encouraging action words.

• Materials: Construction paper, sponge, wooden skewer, marker/pencil, something to poke a hole with, scissors, a large body of water (sink, tub, kiddie pool).
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Action Words: “float,” “sink,” “blow,” “push,” “sail.”
  • Concepts: “up,” “down,” “fast,” “slow.”
  • Imaginative Play: “My boat is going to the island!”
• Instructions:
  1. Cut a paper triangle for the sail. “Make a triangle sail!”
  2. Poke holes and insert the skewer to create the sail. “Put the stick in!”
  3. Poke a hole in the sponge and insert the mast. “Sponge boat go!”
  4. Sail the boats in water. “Blow the sail! Wheee!”

At Speech Blubs, we understand the incredible power of imitation. Our unique “video modeling” methodology, where children learn by watching and imitating their peers, complements these hands-on activities perfectly. While making a sponge boat, a child can learn new action words and then practice them in the app with their video friends. Our app provides a safe, engaging, and fun environment for your child to develop these foundational speech skills, turning screen time into “smart screen time.” Ready to get started? Download Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play to begin your journey.

Crafts for Preschoolers: Expanding Vocabulary and Concepts (Ages 3-5)

Preschoolers are ready for more complex instructions, expressing ideas, and exploring descriptive language. These crafts offer opportunities for storytelling, sequencing, and developing fine motor skills crucial for pre-writing.

5. Magic Nuudles: Imaginative Building Blocks

These edible, dissolvable “nuudles” are a fantastic open-ended craft that encourages imaginative play and storytelling.

• Materials: Magic Nuudles, a damp paper towel.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Vocabulary: Shapes, colors, “sticky,” “wet,” “build.”
  • Storytelling: “What are you making?” “Tell me about your castle.”
  • Prepositions: “Put it on top,” “under.”
• Instructions:
  1. Provide wet paper towels.
  2. Kids dab nuudles to make them sticky.
  3. Build whatever they imagine!

6. Wind Chimes: Sounds and Decorations

Creating wind chimes allows for artistic expression and discussions about sound and nature.

• Materials: Pre-made wind chimes, paint, paintbrushes, water cup, glitter, stickers.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Sensory words: “ding,” “dong,” “soft,” “loud.”
  • Descriptive language: “sparkly,” “colorful,” “twirly.”
  • Cause and Effect: “If the wind blows, the chime will ring!”

7. Homemade Play Dough: Sensory Delight

Making play dough from scratch is a multi-step process that builds comprehension and creates a tactile toy for hours of imaginative play.

• Materials: ½ cup corn starch, 1 cup baking soda, ¾ cup water, saucepan, (optional) food coloring or essential oils.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Action Verbs: “mix,” “stir,” “heat,” “cool,” “squish,” “roll,” “flatten.”
  • Sequence: “First we mix, then we heat, after that it cools.”
  • Descriptive Words: “soft,” “smooth,” “warm,” “cool,” “stretchy.”
• Instructions (adult supervision for heating):
  1. Mix ingredients (except optional additions) in a saucepan.
  2. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes until a ball forms.
  3. Let cool.
  4. Add food coloring/essential oils and knead.
• Scenario: While making play dough, you can focus on the sequence of steps, using words like “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally.” For example, “First, we add the corn starch. Next, the baking soda. Then, the water.” This helps children understand and use transitional words, a crucial step in developing narrative skills.

8. DIY Putty: The Magic of Malleable Fun

Similar to play dough, making putty is a satisfying process that encourages experimentation and sensory vocabulary.

• Materials: Putty solution (craft store or homemade), plastic cups, paint, plastic egg or other storage container.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Textures: “gel,” “firm,” “stretchy,” “gooey.”
  • Action Verbs: “pour,” “mix,” “shake.”
  • Observation: “What do you see happening?”

9. Design-Your-Own Sunglasses: Wearable Art

This craft allows for personal expression and discussions about colors, patterns, and style.

• Materials: Plain sunglasses, markers, stickers, glitter, jewels, adhesive.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Colors & Patterns: “stripes,” “dots,” “sparkly.”
  • Preferences: “I like the blue sticker,” “My sunglasses are cool!”
  • Describing attributes: “These are my sunglasses. They are pretty.”
• Scenario: While making “design-your-own sunglasses,” a child can practice color names, shapes, and phrases like “I like the blue sticker,” or “Can I have the glitter?” This is a great way to elicit requests and expressions of preference.

We believe that learning should be fun and effective. Our video modeling approach is especially powerful for preschoolers, as they are naturally inclined to imitate. They see children just like them engaging in various speech activities, which motivates them to participate. The scientific principles behind our app have been recognized globally, placing us in the top tier of speech apps worldwide. You can explore the research behind Speech Blubs to understand our methodology better.

Summer Crafts for Older Kids: Building Complex Language and Social Skills (Ages 5+)

For older children, crafts can become opportunities for planning, explaining processes, asking specific questions, and even collaborating on projects. These activities challenge them to use more complex sentence structures and engage in more sophisticated conversations.

10. Sand Art Bottles: Layered Creations

A calming and visually appealing craft that encourages precision and descriptive vocabulary.

• Materials: Colored sand (store-bought or homemade from salt/chalk), bottles (new or recycled), funnel, measuring cups/scoops.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Sequence: “First the blue layer, then the yellow.”
  • Prepositions: “Pour into the funnel,” “layers on top of each other.”
  • Descriptive Vocabulary: “smooth,” “rough,” “light,” “dark,” “pattern.”
  • Hypothesizing: “What do you think will happen if we add more blue?”
• Scenario: Crafting “sand art bottles” allows for discussions about patterns, layers, and predicting outcomes, using phrases like “What comes next?” or “I think this will look pretty with a purple layer.” This helps in developing narrative skills and logical thinking.

11. Washer Necklaces: Personalized Pendants

Making wearable art encourages fine motor skills and allows for personal expression.

• Materials: Metal washer, string, beads, glitter, paint, paintbrushes, water cup.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Instructions: Giving and following multi-step directions.
  • Descriptions: Describing patterns, colors, and textures.
  • Storytelling: Creating a story about the necklace or who it’s for.
  • Self-expression: “I chose these colors because they remind me of the ocean.”
• Instructions:
  1. Decorate washers with paint, glitter, beads.
  2. Let dry.
  3. Thread string through the washer, secure with a bead, and tie a knot.

12. Pasta Necklaces: A Timeless Classic with a Twist

This simple, inexpensive craft is endlessly customizable and great for fine motor practice.

• Materials: Pasta (various shapes), yarn, paint, glue, scissors, markers.
• Speech & Language Focus:
  • Shape & Size Vocabulary: “long,” “short,” “round,” “tube.”
  • Sequencing: “Thread this one, then that one.”
  • Patterning: Discussing color and shape patterns.
  • Problem-solving: “The string is stuck! How can we fix it?”
• Instructions:
  1. Stack pasta pieces and glue them together for a unique look.
  2. Paint/decorate the pasta.
  3. Once dry, thread yarn through pasta pieces to create a necklace.

For older children, Speech Blubs can be a powerful tool to build confidence in more complex communication skills. Our app features a wide range of activities that encourage descriptive language, answering questions, and even early reading skills (especially with our Reading Blubs app, included in the Yearly plan!). See what other parents are saying about their child’s success with Speech Blubs by reading our testimonials.

Integrating Speech Blubs into Your Summer Routine

While hands-on crafts are incredible for development, combining them with “smart screen time” can create a truly comprehensive learning environment. At Speech Blubs, we are not just another app; we are a powerful tool designed to complement and enhance your child’s overall development plan. Our founders created Speech Blubs to be the tool they wished they had, a joyful solution that fosters communication skills.

Here’s how to seamlessly integrate Speech Blubs with your craft time:

• Pre-Craft Prep: Before starting a craft, use Speech Blubs to introduce relevant vocabulary. For instance, if you’re making sponge sailboats, spend some time in the app exploring the “Vehicles” section to learn words like “boat,” “water,” “sail,” and “go.”
• Reinforce Learning: After a craft, reinforce new words or concepts learned. If your child created colorful sand art bottles, revisit the “Colors” section in Speech Blubs to practice color names and descriptive adjectives.
• Spark Inspiration: Sometimes, children need a little nudge to get their creative juices flowing. Show them a segment in Speech Blubs that features an animal or object, then challenge them to create a craft inspired by what they saw.
• Empowerment and Confidence: For children struggling with speech, practicing in a fun, non-judgmental environment like Speech Blubs can build immense confidence. Our video modeling approach helps children observe and imitate words and phrases in a fun, engaging way, which they can then apply during real-world interactions like craft time. We provide a screen-free alternative to passive viewing (like cartoons) and a powerful tool for family connection, turning potential frustration into joyful learning moments.

Unsure if your child could benefit from a little extra speech support? Take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get a simple assessment and a personalized next-steps plan. It involves just 9 simple questions and can provide valuable insights, along with a free 7-day trial of Speech Blubs.

Choosing Your Plan: Unlock a Summer of Speech Success

We are dedicated to making effective speech and language support accessible to every family. When you choose Speech Blubs, you’re investing in your child’s future, empowering them to “speak their minds and hearts” with confidence.

We offer two straightforward subscription options:

• Monthly Plan: $14.99 per month. This plan provides access to our award-winning app, designed to help children develop crucial communication skills through engaging, interactive activities.
• Yearly Plan: $59.99 per year. This is our most popular and highly recommended option, breaking down to just $4.99 per month! You save 66% compared to the monthly plan, making it an incredible value for continuous learning and development.

The Yearly Plan offers significant advantages and exclusive features that you won’t get with the Monthly Plan:

• A 7-day free trial: Experience the full power of Speech Blubs before committing.
• The extra Reading Blubs app: Double the value with access to our companion app focused on early literacy skills.
• Early access to new updates: Be the first to enjoy new features and content.
• 24-hour support response time: Get prompt assistance whenever you need it.

The Monthly Plan does not include these valuable benefits. For the best experience, the most comprehensive support, and the full suite of features that will truly empower your child’s summer of speech, we strongly encourage you to choose the Yearly plan.

Conclusion

Summer crafts offer a unique blend of fun, creativity, and developmental growth. By intentionally integrating language-rich interactions into these easy activities, parents can significantly boost their child’s speech and communication skills, transforming ordinary playtime into extraordinary learning opportunities. From rock magnets that encourage early sounds to sand art bottles that foster descriptive language, every craft is a chance for your child to explore, express, and connect.

At Speech Blubs, we are committed to supporting this journey. Our app provides a scientifically-backed, joyful, and effective solution that complements hands-on learning, empowering children to develop their voices and confidently speak their minds and hearts. This summer, let’s turn “I’m bored!” into “I’m ready to create and communicate!”

Ready to embark on a summer of speech success and joyful learning? Start your 7-day free trial today by selecting the Yearly Plan. Download Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play, or create your account on our website to get the full suite of features and benefits that the Yearly plan offers!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do crafts help with speech development?

Crafts are rich in sensory experiences and require following instructions, making choices, and describing processes. These activities naturally encourage vocabulary expansion (colors, textures, action verbs), the use of descriptive language, sequencing skills (“first, then”), and opportunities for social interaction and storytelling, all of which are vital for speech and language development.

2. Is Speech Blubs suitable for my child’s age?

Speech Blubs is designed for children aged 1-8 years old, catering to a wide range of developmental stages. Our app features activities for early sound imitation, vocabulary building, forming sentences, and more complex communication skills. The content adjusts to your child’s progress, making it a flexible and effective tool for various ages and developmental needs.

3. How does Speech Blubs’ “video modeling” work?

Our “video modeling” methodology is a core component of Speech Blubs. Children learn by watching and imitating real peers (other children) on screen. This approach leverages the power of mirror neurons, making learning more engaging and effective than imitating adults or animated characters. It encourages natural imitation, boosts confidence, and turns screen time into “smart screen time” focused on active learning rather than passive viewing.

4. Which Speech Blubs plan is best for my family?

For the most value and comprehensive features, we highly recommend the Yearly Plan at $59.99 per year (just $4.99/month). This plan includes a 7-day free trial, access to our Reading Blubs app, early access to new updates, and 24-hour support response. While a Monthly Plan is available for $14.99/month, it does not include these additional benefits. The Yearly Plan offers substantial savings and the fullest experience to empower your child’s communication journey.